Bruce Seidner

Q: migration assistant from usb external hard drive both Yosemite

My MacBook running Yosemite died. The logic board, like a dead parrot, is no more. The hard drive seems ok and it reads fine from my MacMini also running Yosemite.

 

Migration assistant instructions are clear about using Thunderbolt, Firewire, or Ethernet. Alas, this is a USB enclosure.

 

What is the remedy?

Posted on Mar 6, 2016 10:40 PM

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Q: migration assistant from usb external hard drive both Yosemite

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  • by Niel,Apple recommended

    Niel Niel Mar 6, 2016 10:42 PM in response to Bruce Seidner
    Level 10 (313,476 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 6, 2016 10:42 PM in response to Bruce Seidner

    Choose to migrate from a Time Machine backup or startup disk.

     

    (140391)

  • by Bruce Seidner,

    Bruce Seidner Bruce Seidner Mar 7, 2016 4:55 AM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (7 points)
    Mar 7, 2016 4:55 AM in response to Niel

    The drive from the MacBook is  the system/start up disk. But it is in a USB enclosure.

     

    Can Migration Assistant work with USB?

  • by lllaass,

    lllaass lllaass Mar 7, 2016 5:32 AM in response to Bruce Seidner
    Level 10 (189,493 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 7, 2016 5:32 AM in response to Bruce Seidner

    Yes, the source disk just has to be a bootable/startup OSX version of Snow Leopard or later

  • by Bruce Seidner,

    Bruce Seidner Bruce Seidner Mar 7, 2016 12:18 PM in response to lllaass
    Level 1 (7 points)
    Mar 7, 2016 12:18 PM in response to lllaass

    Yes, that is encouraging. Thank you.  But my question specifically has to do with the instructions that appear to require a FireWire, Thunderbolt or ethernet cable to connect the portable hard drive to the target computer. Is it the case that this will work with USB as well?

     

    I suppose I can just try that when I get home this evening. I also have another external hard drive with both USB and FireWire and I could always make a disk copy to it.  That way I would have my start up disk with a FireWire.

     

    So is USB going to work or is this a waste of time when I could be transferring this over to a FireWire drive?

  • by lllaass,Apple recommended

    lllaass lllaass Mar 8, 2016 3:24 AM in response to Bruce Seidner
    Level 10 (189,493 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 8, 2016 3:24 AM in response to Bruce Seidner

    This includes:

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350

    On your new Mac:

    1. Open Migration Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
    2. Click Continue.
    3. When asked how you want to transfer your information, select the option to transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk.
    4. Click Continue.

    I think that is clear enough to say any connect startup disk will work

  • by Niel,

    Niel Niel Mar 8, 2016 6:21 AM in response to Bruce Seidner
    Level 10 (313,476 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 8, 2016 6:21 AM in response to Bruce Seidner

    Those instructions are for connecting two computers, not an external drive.

     

    (140418)

  • by Bruce Seidner,Apple recommended

    Bruce Seidner Bruce Seidner Mar 9, 2016 8:11 AM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (7 points)
    Mar 9, 2016 8:11 AM in response to Niel

    Migration Assistant works with USB under El Capitan.

     

    Apple Support makes it look like it will only work under Firewire, Thunderbolt, or Ethernet.

     

    But I took the bootable hard drive out of my now dead MacBook, put it in a USB external drive enclosure, and it substantively worked.

     

    I have an issue with the iCloud system pane being gone across all user accounts now, but that is my next thread.